Latest / Kenny Wallace Media / Get To Know 17-Year Old Racing Sensation Jade Avedisian!
Transcript
- 0:00Hello everyone and welcome back to Kenny Conversation, brought
- 0:04to you by Jags, the leader in high performance aftermarket car
- 0:08parts. Remember to go to jags.com for
- 0:12all your car or truck parts. Well this is a this is a first
- 0:16for me, Jade Avedisian. But listen to this, I have to
- 0:21announce her perfectly. She made history, becoming the
- 0:26first lady to win an open wheel national championship.
- 0:31Jade, welcome to Kenny Conversation.
- 0:33Thank you. I'm looking forward to talking
- 0:35to you. Yeah, same here.
- 0:37Well, you're only 17 years old, so we don't have a lot to talk
- 0:42about. But boy, you started racing at
- 0:43such a young age, so let's have fun.
- 0:47You have a beautiful name, Jade Avedisian.
- 0:50Tell me and everybody how you say that last name.
- 0:54Are we doing it right? Actually, yeah, you're right.
- 0:57Jade Avedisian very cool. Well, when I started, there's.
- 1:01There's a lot of people that say it 1000 different ways, but you
- 1:05were pretty close. Is it AB oh Dizzian or
- 1:09Avidisian? Avidisian.
- 1:12Yeah, we're doing good. Yeah.
- 1:14Oh, thank you so much. OK, well, let's, let's get right
- 1:18to it. Jade, you know you you made
- 1:21history, but that's not why I wanted you on Kenny
- 1:24Conversation. I believe a year or two ago I
- 1:28found you because I'm a dirt racer and I love dirt racing.
- 1:33I found you winning all these micro races at 1415 years old.
- 1:39So you you came on the radiator radar, just winning everything
- 1:44in micros. Tell me about that experience in
- 1:47micro and when you started showing up on everybody's radar.
- 1:51Yeah, I mean, I definitely had a pretty Dang cool 2 two years in
- 1:55Micros, I would say, you know, I've always thought it was
- 1:58important myself, and then my dad kind of telling me this as
- 2:01well, but just to try and win in every level before you move up.
- 2:05So obviously we did the Micros and to win a lot of races that
- 2:09year and get a championship, I believe and restricted this was
- 2:13like three or four years ago. I was definitely pretty cool.
- 2:16And then. I feel like a race that stood
- 2:17out to me the most in micros was when we went out to Sweet
- 2:20Springs and 120 grand. I think I was 14 and not only
- 2:24that, but I think it was one of my fifth race in outlaw class.
- 2:27So to go do that and win 20 grand, I feel like that race
- 2:31kind of brought my name out for a lot of people to hear.
- 2:34So I thought that was really cool and but yeah, it's just
- 2:37been on the go since then and just trying to win these races
- 2:41is my best I can. Yeah, that was that was a big
- 2:44win. That was the John Hinck race and
- 2:47you kicked the boy's butt and $20,000.
- 2:51So when you got that check, did you did your dad grab it?
- 2:54Who grabbed that check? Well, we split it.
- 2:59The funny thing is, we went to that race and my dad was kind of
- 3:03wondering if we should even go because I have barely been in
- 3:06that law class and. Either way we win and he was
- 3:09like, well, let's just try to make the feature and then just
- 3:11see what happens. Like the goal was to make the
- 3:13feature. And then I think that we started
- 3:15like 6 that night and someone came up to me and they're like,
- 3:19well you know, you could win this.
- 3:20I'm like, well, I don't know, I'm going to try.
- 3:23And then I also think it was, I've never done 40 laps before.
- 3:27So it was kind of a lot of firsts that night because the
- 3:30longest first I've done was 30 laps, so.
- 3:32But yeah, coming from sixth position and you know, having
- 3:35the goal of just to make the feature that night and then to
- 3:38win 20 grand was just a really cool night as well.
- 3:43I never interviewed somebody this young.
- 3:45So we're going to do something a little different.
- 3:48We're we're going to start from the beginning because you're
- 3:50beginning is so short. I read a wonderful article on
- 3:53you last night and your dad said, and I'm not going to say
- 3:59it all, I want you to chime in. Your dad said, just bought you a
- 4:03little go Kart. You ran around a little parking
- 4:06lot and you said, dad, I'm getting bored because you wanted
- 4:10to you wanted to go to a different circuit.
- 4:12You you really did want to race. Tell me about the early
- 4:16beginnings where your family was just a normal family and looking
- 4:20for something for you to do. Yeah, so my dad worked on Sprint
- 4:25cars growing up. So it's kind of always around
- 4:28when I was like growing up and. Actually I was at a sprinkler
- 4:31race when I was six months old. So I was, you know, introduced
- 4:34very young. And then when I turned 4, he
- 4:36bought me a court image and we went out to parking lots, like
- 4:39on Sundays, just empty parking lots, city empty parking lot we
- 4:42could find. And just to see if I liked it.
- 4:44And when I first got into it, I wasn't really too sure if I
- 4:48liked it and it sat on the side of the house for like 2 years I
- 4:52would say. And then when when I turned 7,
- 4:55we tried again and I was like OK, I love this SO.
- 4:59You know, we went to the empty parking lot when I was 7, did
- 5:01that for a little bit, and then I pulled over one time and I was
- 5:05like, I told my dad like, I'm bored.
- 5:06I think I'm like, done. And he took it as, like, OK,
- 5:10we're just going to, like, sell it and find a different sport.
- 5:13I was like, explaining to him that I was just tired of, like,
- 5:16going in the parking lot that I wanted to race.
- 5:18So the following weekend we were at the racetrack and that was my
- 5:22first race in the port. Image it.
- 5:24That's incredible. You know, before we get started,
- 5:28I want to say straight up, your dad made it clear that the
- 5:32family didn't have enough money to get you all the way to the
- 5:35top and that your your talent was going to have to do it.
- 5:39What was that clear from the beginning that we're we're just
- 5:42racing. But if you want to make it to
- 5:44NASCAR Girl, you're going to have to do this with your
- 5:46talent. Yeah, absolutely.
- 5:50You know, my dad has gotten me a lot.
- 5:52You know, he did me or he got me all the way through the OR
- 5:55through the micro stuff. And then luckily I got the deal
- 5:58with Keith this year in mobile one.
- 6:00And you know, I'm not exactly sure what I'm doing next year,
- 6:03but I know what's kind of in the works.
- 6:05So yeah, so like I said, I'm just trying to do my absolute
- 6:08best on and off the track to hopefully make it 1 day.
- 6:12You are so mature, so calm, and there's so much to say because I
- 6:16I know that there are great things ahead of you and I'm sure
- 6:20the phone and the contracts are going to start rolling.
- 6:24I I want to. I want to read something to you.
- 6:27And the only reason I'm going to say this is because I know what
- 6:33a good person you are, what a good heart you have, how calm
- 6:36you are, Kyle Larson says. He was your teammate at one time
- 6:41and you're so shy. You're so quiet, but you're a
- 6:46gasser that that's a big, that's an incredible comment.
- 6:51What do you think of Kyle Larson saying that?
- 6:53Yeah, that is pretty cool. I remember going to Millbridge
- 6:57last year I believe and the BC39 with when I was with Chad and.
- 7:02I had no clue he was going to be my teammate.
- 7:04So I walk up into the trailer, I'm like, Oh my gosh, like he's
- 7:07my teammate this weekend. So I feel like that was also
- 7:10another moment that I will never kind of forget.
- 7:13To be teammates with him and race with him was pretty, pretty
- 7:16cool. And one more here, Christopher
- 7:20Bell, he said. You mean to tell me she's only
- 7:2416 years old now. We know you're 17 now, but at
- 7:27the point at the time, he said. I can't believe she's that
- 7:31young. She's so fast for such a young
- 7:34age. What?
- 7:35What? What did that mean to you?
- 7:37Yeah, that's also really cool, actually, Christopher.
- 7:40So I'm out obviously living in North Carolina now and we go to
- 7:44the Toyota Performance Center. So I see him once in a while and
- 7:48he's really cool. And you know, for those people
- 7:50to say that about me, it's honestly just really cool.
- 7:55So here we are. You won the 2023 Extreme Outlaw
- 8:01Championship against some of the best.
- 8:04I mean, you know one thing that I like about you, your your calm
- 8:09demeanor, but I know what those outlaw midgets are all about and
- 8:13I I've watched you all do it. You guys will throw a right rear
- 8:18into somebody's side at any time.
- 8:21And Jade, you do that when you've got to.
- 8:24It is is that a technique? I mean, are you trying to rough
- 8:28each other up or is it just the way you drive the open wheel
- 8:31measures? I think people could be both
- 8:35ways. It's obviously going to be close
- 8:38racing. Everyone is so close these days
- 8:42and everyone's like really good right now.
- 8:43So the next question at the end of the season, like let's say
- 8:46this past weekend everyone's nerves were up and it was just
- 8:50super intense because it was championship weekend obviously
- 8:53so. We, you know, for example, we go
- 8:55to Port City and we have 55 laps on a super small track and like
- 8:59I said, everyone's intensity's up and the pressure's on and it
- 9:02honestly was kind of out of hand.
- 9:06I've never been hit so many times in my life to be honest.
- 9:09So but yeah, I think, like I said, it was just so much
- 9:12pressure this weekend that everyone was just giving it all
- 9:14they had. And I think it could be both,
- 9:16though I think a lot of people can.
- 9:19Like for for example, I bring in Justin Grant, he puts people in
- 9:23the best spot. He puts people in.
- 9:25You know, people have to think if when he slides somebody, if
- 9:28they're have to lift or if they're going to flip.
- 9:30And I think that is like one of the best slide jobs and midgets
- 9:34obviously, because he's so he's so good right now.
- 9:37So but yeah, some people will just slide into you and it's
- 9:41really not cool, but they do. So I think it could go both ways
- 9:45though. Kyle Larson.
- 9:48That's OK. This Kenny conversation that
- 9:50sounds like ESPN in the background.
- 9:55No, no, don't be sorry. We love it.
- 9:57The the fans, this, this is all good.
- 10:00Nothing is rehearsed here on Kenny conversation.
- 10:02So with that being said, Kyle Larson said this and I I really
- 10:07like this. He said Jade has a better
- 10:10understanding about patience and your racecraft.
- 10:14I like what you said because Jade, I've thrown sliders on
- 10:17people and and they decide not to lift.
- 10:20They stay in there and then they run themselves in the wall and
- 10:23then they get mad at me. So yeah, it's like, hey, you
- 10:27know, you're either going to eat my right rear or you're going to
- 10:29let off or you're going to go into the wall.
- 10:32So what you're saying is even though Justin Grant put you in
- 10:36those positions, you have to make the decision?
- 10:39Yeah, absolutely. And I think.
- 10:42Like I said, I think everyone's so close that lately you're
- 10:44going to have to be put people in that position and give them
- 10:47the option just because everyone's so close right now.
- 10:51All right let's go down to this championship race.
- 10:54I I watched it and man that that first start you went to enter
- 10:59high into one of that thing got to hop in and it would not
- 11:01settle down and it us dirt racers are like can we have a do
- 11:05over You go down the backstroke they threw a caution.
- 11:08Thank the Lord. Yeah, yeah.
- 11:11So I. I rolled around there under
- 11:13caution. I was like in the last chance
- 11:16went out not too far, but before our feature and I was like,
- 11:19well, they're running through the holes, you know.
- 11:20I think I should be okay because it's the first lap and won't
- 11:24have all my speed and maybe just to get through the first lap
- 11:27running the top and. I went in there into one and I
- 11:30was like, oh gosh, like hopefully this thing stops
- 11:32bouncing For a second I was like, oh God, this this isn't
- 11:36good. Luckily it landed and luckily,
- 11:39you know, there was another lane I could move down for the next
- 11:41restart. But, but yeah, I definitely got
- 11:43a little nerve wrapping for the opening lap right there.
- 11:47You know, I want to call an audible here.
- 11:49We're going to talk about your championship 3rd place finish at
- 11:53I-44, their Riverside Speedway in Oklahoma, but I want to go
- 11:57back to my home track here, I-55 here in Peebly, Missouri.
- 12:03I've noticed that you've got a technique that that I wish I was
- 12:06as good. I wish I was as smart as you.
- 12:09When these tracks are extremely rough, beyond belief and I watch
- 12:15you, you don't toss that thing in on the right rear.
- 12:17You you don't make yourself bike.
- 12:20Where did you learn this technique when these tracks are
- 12:23extremely rough? I mean, you flip, We all flip,
- 12:27but you're really good at keeping that open will Midget
- 12:31underneath you and not biking up.
- 12:33How do you do that? Yeah, I think lately, you know,
- 12:36there's there's a lot of good people behind me to coach me
- 12:39through it. And you know, during the week I
- 12:41try to watch as much film as I can from, you know, previous
- 12:44years to. Because you know, when you go
- 12:47955, you know it's probably going to be a little rough
- 12:49sometimes and but yeah, just trying to, you know, really pay
- 12:53attention and kind of what I've been taught and what I've been
- 12:57learned or what I've learned was you have to drive it straight as
- 13:00possible throughout the holes and.
- 13:02Just at least on entry and then you can get it bent and you know
- 13:05set up the rest of the corner. Because when you're, I mean it
- 13:08happened to me almost when you're sideways throughout the
- 13:11holes, you know your right Brewer is just going to dig in
- 13:14and faster and faster and then you're going to probably flip or
- 13:17just not be as fast. So, you know, someone told me
- 13:20this other day and they're like, just try and drive like a wings
- 13:23front car. And I was like, all right.
- 13:25And it worked at I-55 and. But yeah, I think just try to
- 13:29drive it as straight as possible when it gets rough like that.
- 13:32Yeah. And I think what I got to remind
- 13:33myself is you're you're 17 and you've learned these things at
- 13:39this incredible young age. And that's that's the
- 13:42phenomenon. People like you don't come along
- 13:45very often. I think of Jeff Gordon.
- 13:48I think of Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell.
- 13:51That's why you're making such big news.
- 13:54So let's go to that championship race.
- 13:56So you go to you're, you're what, 17 points ahead going into
- 14:01Oklahoma? So the first day at port we were
- 14:0411 and then leaving port we were tied still so 11.
- 14:08And then the final or Friday night we were 17.
- 14:12And then I think before the feature on Saturday, we were 27,
- 14:15Man, you you did a lot of racing right there, you.
- 14:19Just yeah. It sounded like a lot.
- 14:20So if you go into this race, we talked about it.
- 14:24They dropped the green flag. You go into one, you go, you
- 14:28think you're going to make it through one.
- 14:29You don't. You get the caution.
- 14:31But I want to go back before that.
- 14:33I read that beautiful interview and what I liked is you told the
- 14:39man you said you, you had, you know, nerves, but you got
- 14:45emotional. You almost started crying
- 14:46because when you rolled on the racetrack you said I can win
- 14:50this championship. Tell tell me about that moment
- 14:53inside the cockpit as your When was that and how did you calm
- 14:58your nerves? Yeah, I honestly don't really
- 15:01know how to put into words. It was kind of just a moment
- 15:05that I will kind of never forget going out for the feature on
- 15:09Saturday. I knew the gap I had and it like
- 15:12I said, it was 27 and I knew what I had to finish to win and
- 15:16I think I just had to finish better than six so.
- 15:19I was kind of like people were telling me and I was kind of
- 15:22hyping myself up. I was like, Dang, I can win this
- 15:24thing. And then I wrote on the feature
- 15:27and then it kind of just all calmed down.
- 15:28I feel like right when we got pushed off and, you know, I knew
- 15:32I had to stay calm. I know it was 30 laps and you
- 15:35know, I do think it would happen in 30 laps.
- 15:37So but yeah, I just try to stay calm and just do the best I
- 15:40possibly could. But it definitely was nerve
- 15:43racking. All weekend it was nerve
- 15:45racking. I was telling somebody else
- 15:47this. I was like.
- 15:48Well, I don't think I've ever been so nervous in my life.
- 15:50Rolling out for the feature on Saturday.
- 15:53So your take away now, I watched the race and and I do agree with
- 15:58what you said earlier, you all were hitting the hell out of
- 16:00each other. You know whether it was a
- 16:02mistake, whether everybody you know you you could see the
- 16:05nerves on everybody. Now let's go back throughout the
- 16:10year these these dirt racing seasons as I know I'm 60 damn
- 16:15years old. We're racing, 100 degree
- 16:17weather, you know, you're like, Oh my God, you know, I got to
- 16:20dry my uniform out the next day out in the sun, I smell.
- 16:24Yeah, yeah, right. But but we got to keep digging.
- 16:27So you were you were 180 points behind Cannon McIntosh.
- 16:32Now that that's that's a lot where where in the season do you
- 16:38feel like you started gaining on him?
- 16:41Yeah. So just to break down the whole
- 16:44season, I feel like, you know the first weekend out to coin we
- 16:46were, we were really good. I think the first night we got
- 16:49like 4th and then the second night we won.
- 16:51And then after that weekend we had probably a month or two,
- 16:57three, three months maybe of, you know, mistakes on my part
- 17:01and just not clicking very well. And at that time, Cannon was
- 17:05clicking off his wins and was really, really good every night
- 17:08and. You know, Fast forward to
- 17:10probably June, July, I feel, I feel like June, July we had a
- 17:14light switch and we started winning a lot.
- 17:16I think we got like four wins in a month or so.
- 17:20So everything just started kind of clicking and then you know,
- 17:23even just the past few months, I feel like we've been in tension
- 17:28or contention every single night to win and have a chance to win.
- 17:31So I feel like. Look, it was honestly kind of a
- 17:33light switch for me and my team. I'm just trying to do the best
- 17:38we possibly can every night. Well, you put it all together
- 17:42and you know, let me, let me brag on you for a minute.
- 17:46And you know, when we watch the girls, the ladies, the females,
- 17:52whatever the verbiage is they use nowadays, You know, I have
- 17:55three daughters and I I love them so much.
- 17:57I can only imagine what your mom and dad go through watching you,
- 18:02'cause we know how much they love you.
- 18:05You're running a a really dangerous car.
- 18:07I I wouldn't run an open wheel. I'm a taxi cab driver.
- 18:13So you you got all the credit from me.
- 18:18You know, I know Danica Patrick, I know the ladies before you.
- 18:22So my conversation, my question to you is I'm going to ask you
- 18:29this because I I saw you talk about it.
- 18:32So I think the coast is clear. You you are excited that you're
- 18:38a lady racer and you you do realize it is unique.
- 18:44How do you take that on knowing that Danica and and Janet
- 18:48Guthrie and Shirley Cha Cha Ma Downey in NHRA Talk to me about
- 18:54just being a young lady in a man's sport and you're kicking
- 18:58their ass. I think it's awesome.
- 19:01What do you think about all that?
- 19:03Yeah, thank you. I do think it's really cool and
- 19:07not even just for myself. I feel like it's the coolest
- 19:09when you know, little girls come up to me and tell me that I
- 19:12inspire them to start racing and I feel like that's obviously
- 19:15really cool that, you know, I'm helping out.
- 19:17Maybe the younger or the younger girls just get started racing
- 19:20and but yeah, other than that I think honestly my goal is just
- 19:25to. Win races and leave laps and do
- 19:28the best I possibly can, but it definitely is pretty cool.
- 19:31You know when when I can be the first for hopefully many things
- 19:36and people, when people bring it up.
- 19:37I do think it is pretty cool though.
- 19:39One thing I've noticed that is a little different is I believe
- 19:43that there's more ladies in open wheel and and it shocks me
- 19:47because it's such a dangerous sport but it does cost a lot of
- 19:50money to go to full body race cars.
- 19:55The boys in in the pit area had they had they treated you good
- 20:02And I saw Haley Deegan, we we've interviewed interviewed Haley
- 20:05here a couple months ago. I found that the guys were
- 20:10afraid to talk to her so I went up and talked to her.
- 20:15What is it like in the pit area now?
- 20:18Do the boys talk to you? Do they do they make you feel
- 20:21good, or or is it still is it standoffish?
- 20:25No, I honestly feel like 81. You can kind of go up to 81 and
- 20:29it's just normal. I feel like everyone in the pits
- 20:34lately have been, like I said, has been a little tense just
- 20:38because you know, the points are coming down and then and
- 20:40whatever. But but I feel like honestly
- 20:43everyone kind of gets along together and that's also pretty
- 20:47cool I think as well. But yeah, I don't.
- 20:50I don't really see anything different for me.
- 20:53That's awesome. That's all well.
- 20:55So here we are now and I got I'm going to I'm going to go into
- 21:00another territory because this is what's in the news.
- 21:05We have Toyota that noticed your talent and Toyota is very good
- 21:12at what they do. And you know Toyota sponsored me
- 21:15for seven years. I ran a Toyota Motor in my dirt,
- 21:19modified and. All my bosses at Toyota were
- 21:24wonderful, so here you are right now at Keith Coons Toyota, you
- 21:32just won a championship, Bob Pocras, who who is very well
- 21:38respected in the NASCAR world, he said.
- 21:41You are top 15 prospect to make it to some form of NASCAR, it
- 21:47meaning there's 15 people. In America or the world, and
- 21:52you're on that list. What is your goal from here?
- 21:57Is there a timeline? Do you spend another year in in
- 22:00open Will mitches? Do you make the move to full
- 22:03body cars Now? What's your thought?
- 22:06Yeah, so my goal is to hopefully be racing on Sundays with the
- 22:09NASCAR Cup Series. That's right, Yeah.
- 22:12As of right now though, I'm honestly really not too sure.
- 22:16I know all the people at Toyota and you know everyone else is
- 22:20trying to figure out, you know, what is my stuff going to be
- 22:23next year and if there's going to be a contract.
- 22:25So to be honest, I'm not really too sure exactly what's going,
- 22:28what I'm going to be doing next year.
- 22:30But I know everyone at Toyota is going to put me in the right
- 22:33spot hopefully and just give it the best shot I can give.
- 22:36Well, I'm going to call David Wilson and Paul Doshall and I'm
- 22:40going to, I'm going to tell them don't mess this up, you know,
- 22:44because they have a diamond in the rough.
- 22:46And years ago my brother Rusty he was cussing a little bit and
- 22:52and his his best friend was right next to him and somebody
- 22:57in NASCAR said man that Wallace got a potty mouth and and and
- 23:02his Rusty's best friend said listen Bob I'm I'm I'm bringing
- 23:06you a diamond in the rough it's up it's up to you to Polish him
- 23:10up. So, Jade, I I really believe you
- 23:13know, you're already a diamond. You know, we learn all the time.
- 23:20You definitely have the talent to get to where you want to.
- 23:25Now, Keith Coons is who you're driving for right now, and we
- 23:28all know that he's got the best open Will midgets.
- 23:30He's the greatest of all time. I love Keith.
- 23:33He's wonderful to me. What is Keith Coons in that
- 23:37operation like, or. I mean, are they all business or
- 23:41are they a little? Are they are they human?
- 23:44What are they like? Honestly, they're human.
- 23:47Honestly, when I found out at the beginning of the year, like
- 23:51I I found out pretty late that I was switching.
- 23:54It was like 2 weeks before the opener at the coin and honestly
- 23:57I was like jeez, this is pretty cool that I get to go race for
- 24:00Keith this year and then to have fun and stuff.
- 24:02But but yeah, honestly, I I wasn't sure what to expect.
- 24:06But everyone over there, such great people and I feel like
- 24:11they want to win so bad, almost as bad as I want to win.
- 24:13So but yeah, just to have, you know, Jared as my crew chief,
- 24:17Jared Martin, he's really fun, especially when we win and
- 24:21everyone's a little bit happier. But but yeah, they're all human
- 24:24and they're all really good people over there.
- 24:27You know, a lot of my interviews are 40 minutes.
- 24:30You're going to be shorter because you're so young.
- 24:33You haven't. You haven't done a lot.
- 24:35But you've done so much in such a short period of time, so let's
- 24:40just have a little bit of fun. Like I said, I have three
- 24:42daughters. What are you like as a girly
- 24:46girl? Do you, do you like Taylor
- 24:48Swift? Do you go to movies?
- 24:51What kind of music do you listen to?
- 24:52What are you? What are you like?
- 24:56I do like Taylor Swift, but I will say her new playlist or her
- 24:59new album is not my favorite. You're not a.
- 25:02Are you a Swifty? Kind of for old?
- 25:06I'm an old Swifty, but lately I've been kind of listening to
- 25:11rap for some reason. I don't know, I feel like that's
- 25:13what everyone's listening to. So I just like it now.
- 25:16But yeah, honestly, being the age I am and how much we race,
- 25:22you know, there's not a lot of time to do other stuff.
- 25:25But and obviously I'm super happy that they get a raise
- 25:28that's like my dream. But other than that, I, you
- 25:30know, I like to golf, I like to wake surf and you know, I think
- 25:34balance in life is obviously super important.
- 25:37So just try to balance it out as best I can.
- 25:40You're wise for your age. Does your mom and dad keep keep
- 25:44a good eye on you? I think they're are.
- 25:45Are they still in California? No, they're in North Carolina
- 25:49yet now. But yeah, they keep a good eye
- 25:52on me. Do you?
- 25:54Do you still? Love being around mom and dad at
- 25:57such a young age? Or or do you like to get away
- 25:59from them? No, I like being around them
- 26:04that you know they've done a lot for me obviously.
- 26:07And just another thing like they move all the way across country
- 26:10to North Carolina to hopefully, you know make my racing career
- 26:14like a a career hopefully. So yeah, I I, you know, I love
- 26:18spending time with them and then to have them out there last
- 26:21weekend and have my little sister out there last weekend
- 26:23when I wanted. To hold on.
- 26:25Back up. I didn't back up.
- 26:28You have a little sister now, dude.
- 26:30What? Do you have your brother or
- 26:32sister? Or is it just two of you?
- 26:34Well, there's three of us. So I'm.
- 26:36I'm the middle child. So I have an older sister that's
- 26:3830, but she's in California, she's married.
- 26:41And then I have a younger sister, that's her name's
- 26:43Kenzie. That's 14.
- 26:45So Kenzie's lately. Now we put her on home school
- 26:48because she wasn't sure if she wanted to live in California or
- 26:51North Carolina. So just for the time being to
- 26:53see what she wants to do. So lately she's been going to a
- 26:56lot of races. But yeah, I am the middle child.
- 27:00Well, Jade, you're down there in North Carolina.
- 27:02I lived there 27 years. It can get intense.
- 27:05It can get toxic. So stay on the road.
- 27:09Stay away from everybody telling you what they think and where
- 27:12you're at. And I found my first years down
- 27:16there quite wonderful. And then when you make it to the
- 27:19Cup Series, it becomes a whole different animal.
- 27:21But Jay, congratulations. On everything so far and how how
- 27:27many more races left this year we have eight more, but so the
- 27:32extreme series obviously done and then eight more with you,
- 27:34Zach, on the West Coast. What about the Chili Bowl next
- 27:38year? Yep, that one too.
- 27:41I was talking about about it this morning.
- 27:43I was like, I don't know what my prelim night.
- 27:44I ran Tuesday last year, but I mean, they're going to probably
- 27:48run Tuesday or Wednesday again, so But yeah, that week's really
- 27:51fun. Are you going to that?
- 27:53I don't know. I don't know.
- 27:55You know what? My look here.
- 27:57Here's how it works for me. Media.
- 27:59Look at this. I got, I got it.
- 28:02I take these things and I open them up.
- 28:04And Dale Earnhardt senior taught me this and I use I use this.
- 28:10Now I'm a I'm a cell phone dude. But I I like to take what you
- 28:16you go to OfficeMax and you open these babies up.
- 28:22And this is kind of what it looks like and I fill up every
- 28:24counter. So what, January 14th, 15th?
- 28:28Is that around the Chili Bowl time?
- 28:30I believe so, yeah. Somewhere around there.
- 28:33You know what? Now, while we're talking about
- 28:36the Chili Bowl, so they're they're up in their game this
- 28:39year. Some of the superstars left
- 28:40them. I don't want to.
- 28:43I don't want you to say anything you don't want to say.
- 28:46So don't get yourself in trouble.
- 28:49But the Chili Bowl? As we know Kyle Larson, Brad
- 28:55Sweet, you know, a a lot of the big boys said, listen, you know,
- 28:59we're trying to make a living doing this.
- 29:01We just want to make a little bit.
- 29:03And they stayed away last year, but now this year you know, it
- 29:08paid 10 grand to win. Now it's going to pay 20,000 to
- 29:11win. Do you think they did that
- 29:14because they want, you know, Kyle and Christopher and all
- 29:18those big boys back? I think so.
- 29:23Obviously those people are are a lot to the sport and I feel like
- 29:27for the Chili Bowls stand in the Han family, I feel like they
- 29:31kind of need those people just to, you know, 'cause they're
- 29:34good to promote for their event, obviously.
- 29:37So I think if they could do something and make the money a
- 29:40little bit higher and hope they come back, I think that's kind
- 29:43of their goal. But obviously I'm not really too
- 29:45sure, but I think that's kind of my opinion of it.
- 29:49Do you stay at the Chili Bowl the whole damn time, like seven
- 29:52days or or do you go home? Yeah, I stare there.
- 29:55I stay there the whole time. Last year I my prelim night was
- 29:59on Tuesday and during the feature I I didn't really feel
- 30:02good. And then I got sick on after the
- 30:05prelim night and I didn't go back to the building till
- 30:07Saturday. So I kind of missed out on the
- 30:09all on the fun. But but yeah, I do stay there
- 30:11the whole week. And.
- 30:14Before we go, straighten me out. Were you the highest?
- 30:18First of all, you made the Amen. Were you the highest finishing
- 30:22female in Chili Bowl history? No, I no.
- 30:27I tied with Kaylee with 18th. The first half of the race we
- 30:32were really good. I think we got up to 8th or 9th
- 30:36and then my tire like went flat a little bit.
- 30:40So then it kind of, And then it took, it went down to the bottom
- 30:43so I couldn't run in as good, and then I fell back.
- 30:45But but yeah, I'm tired. Man, but but making that race
- 30:49300 and something at Tony Stewart once said, he said.
- 30:53I didn't know there was that many open wheel midgets in
- 30:56America, so yeah. You made that race when you made
- 31:00the the Chili Bowl. How did what?
- 31:04What kind of a deal was that for you?
- 31:06Was that the biggest thing in your life at that moment?
- 31:09Yeah, I feel like that was pretty cool.
- 31:11I wasn't really too sure what to expect going into that week,
- 31:15just cause I've never really or I've never done it before
- 31:17obviously. So But yeah, my goal was to make
- 31:20it to the feature and then on Tuesday night, my prelim night,
- 31:25I did. I thought I did really good.
- 31:26I think we started 9th and we got up to 3rd.
- 31:30So we set ourselves up pretty good for the rest of the week.
- 31:33And I feel like we kind of needed to do that, 'cause when
- 31:36you no, don't do the best on your prelim night, it's going to
- 31:39be hard to get through those lower mains.
- 31:42So to just get a good prelim night, and you know, we missed
- 31:45it by 1 because they only walk in two, but we were the front of
- 31:48the bee and you know, we were able to transfer out of that.
- 31:50But but yeah, that was a pretty cool week though.
- 31:54Just to walk out on stage and see how the fans get excited on
- 31:58Saturday, it's probably a moment I'll never forget.
- 32:02I I have a feeling this is going to be old school for you.
- 32:06We we never take it for granted. But you've already proved your
- 32:11ability. Jade, I, I, I agree with Cal
- 32:14Larson and now I know what he's talking about.
- 32:17Your understanding, your patience, your your ability to
- 32:21to know, you know what to do at such a young age.
- 32:25So. Congratulations Jade and listen
- 32:29up everybody. We are in podcast form and
- 32:32everybody's listening to us on podcast now but TuneIn here on
- 32:36YouTube and and and see what all these great athletes look like.
- 32:40And remember we are in Spotify and iTunes.
- 32:44And Jade, thank you so much for being on Kenny conversation.
- 32:48Thank you for having me, Kenny. Awesome.
- 32:51All right. Until the next Kenny
- 32:52conversation, everybody. Little birdie tells me the goats
- 32:56coming on Ricky Carmichael, the greatest of all time in the
- 33:00motocross ring. Until next time.
- 33:03Any conversation just keeps on rolling.